Online Presence Vetting (OPV)

The U.S. Department of State, through the Bureau of Diplomatic Technology’s Office of Consular Systems and Technology, has issued a Request for Information (RFI) titled Online Presence Vetting (OPV) under solicitation number DT-CST-2026-RFI-001 to gather market intelligence for future acquisition planning. This RFI seeks capabilities from qualified vendors to develop and deliver a fully automated, globally scalable solution capable of processing up to 18 million visa applicants annually across more than 300 consular locations worldwide. The required system must perform real-time, individual-level open-source intelligence (OSINT) collection and analysis, including live social media data scraping, with results delivered within 30 minutes of query initiation and guaranteed 99.9% uptime around the clock to support operations across all global time zones. Technical requirements include API-driven integration with existing consular systems, end-to-end automation from data ingestion to result delivery without manual intervention, and dedicated, isolated infrastructure ensuring no commingling of applicant data with other customers. All data must be encrypted at rest and in transit using industry-standard or stronger methods, and the system must comply with FISMA, NIST SP 800-53, and Department of State security protocols. The vendor must be able to obtain a Department of State Authority to Operate (ATO) within six months of contract award. The proposed period of performance is structured as a 24-month timeline, beginning with a six-month base period aimed at delivering a minimally viable product and securing an ATO, followed by two optional periods totaling 18 months to achieve full operational capability. Responses must be submitted by 11:00 AM EST on July 10, 2026, via email to KayaniBA@state.gov in PDF format, not exceeding 25 MB and adhering to a 40-page limit excluding administrative sections. Vendors are required to use the provided Attachment A Response Template and must include company legal name, address, CAGE and UEI codes, business size classification, socioeconomic certifications, employee and revenue estimates, and facility and personnel clearance information. Contractor personnel must hold at least a Department of State Moderate Risk Public Trust clearance, and the organization must disclose its current facility clearance level and the percentage of its workforce holding SECRET or higher security clearances. No set-aside is planned, and the NAICS code is 541519. Although this RFI does not obligate